Truthful Embers
by New Decade
Summary: Ryan isn't the only one who needs to be teased. Post 10.02.


So, yeah, we all know that technically E/C aren't together, but screw it. They are too perfect not to put together (if only someone would tell the writers that, eh?).

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><p>The locker room was almost deserted when Calleigh entered it as yet another workday came to a close. Despite the incident involving the propane induced fire, the day had been a fairly decent one. They were successfully able to put away numerous felons and, on a more personal matter, received mild enjoyment from joking with Ryan. But now Calleigh was looking forward to returning home and removing the clothes which still smelled heavily of smoke. She approached the aisle that contained her locker and the sound of pills rattling in a bottle greeted her as she came closer. She turned the corner and Eric was there at his locker, a bottle of Aspirin in one hand while the other popped the medicine into his mouth.<p>

"Hey," she greeted him. "Still got that headache?"

"Yeah," Eric said after swallowing. "But I'll be okay. How about you?" he asked with concern. "You haven't had trouble breathing or anything, right?"

Calleigh chuckled as she pulled open her locker; she knew it was only a matter of time before he would worry about her previous experiences with fires. He had remained professional throughout the day, never revealing his worries about her as a way to keep both of them focused on the case. But now the case was solved, the assailants were in custody, the walls had been lowered, and she would be able to confront his concern.

"No, I'm fine," she assured him. "But I'm going to end up getting a rep as a pyromaniac or something."

Eric laughed as he closed his locker, grabbing his gym bag. "I'm not surprised. Everywhere you go there seems to be flames."

Calleigh rolled her eyes and placed her badge on the top compartment inside her locker. "Please. This has only been my third fire, hardly sensational."

Eric strolled towards her and leaned casually against the locker beside hers. "Three is a lot in this place. Plus there was that laptop from a few years ago-."

"Oh, come on, that doesn't count," she scoffed, swinging her purse onto her shoulder; Eric could see the mild annoyance brewing in her eyes, however the corners of her pink lips were attempting to resist a smile. He took a step towards Calleigh, he clearly towered over her, but she stood her ground and looked up at him with the same unshaken confidence.

"It counts," he teased, his face lifting into a smirk.

"No," Calleigh said, simply, looking straight at him as she closed her locker.

"Does so," he retorted, playfully.

Calleigh arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Am I dating a five-year-old?"

"C'mon, Cal, you wouldn't break the law like that," Eric bantered as he snaked his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her. Calleigh refrained herself from returning his kiss at first, not wanting Eric to think he won, but she eventually reciprocated his lip action with her own. Her set of lips tenderly caressed Eric's and he slowly deepened the kiss; Calleigh allowed it until she felt Eric's hand slowly began to travel down to her thigh. She leaned out of the kiss and stopped his hand with her own, threading her fingers through his.

"Technically," she whispered, disapprovingly. "We're still at work."

"We're off duty," he retorted, alluringly, recapturing her lips one more time.

"You are really pushing your limits tonight," Calleigh observed, gently squeezing his fingers. "Did you hit your head that hard?"

"Funny," Eric rolled his eyes.

"Not as funny as you suddenly keeping score on my fire encounters," she retaliated.

"You're up to five," he informed her.

"_Five_?" she asked, appalled, dropping his hand and placing both of hers firmly on her hips. "Two minutes ago it was only four."

"Well, remember the case when the unspent bullet rolled off the table in your lab and-."

"Okay," Calleigh surrendered, remembering the Manny Ortega case from a few years back and the incident with the oxidized bullet. "That one does count. Don't let that go to your head," she added when he smirked in triumph. "Ready to head home?"

"Yeah," he grinned as they began to walk down the aisle of lockers.

"So, we're going to leave my number at five, right?"

"I will if you don't add to it by getting into anymore altercations with fires. Deal?" he asked.

"Deal," Calleigh agreed with a smile. "It'll stay at five."

"Good," Eric said, his tone shifting to a more serious setting. "Because, all joking aside, I was terrified when that fire started."

"They are pretty scary," she nodded in understanding, by this point she was able to empathize with anyone the fears that came when being involved in a fire, whether their phobias came from the flames, the scorching heat…or the inability to breathe.

"Not about the fire," he sighed, pausing in the middle of the lockers. "I was terrified that you'd start inhaling that smoke and that…that maybe the third time would be the charm."

Calleigh looked up at him, sensing the genuine fear he was describing and being able to relate. She recalled looking at him as the flames surrounded them, she had been unable to move him, for her strength was no match for his body weight, and had been certain—until Horatio showed up—they had met there end, for she wouldn't have left him there alone.

She placed her hands on Eric's hips and stretched up on her toes to give him a reassuring kiss. "Well, that rule of threes has been disproven, I guess," Calleigh grinned. "The important thing is we are both fine, we are both going home tonight and will come back again tomorrow."

Eric's nodded. "I know. It's just," he paused to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm not a big fan of you and close calls."

Calleigh slid her arms behind him to hug his waist and he rested his hands on her upper arms. "I know, but it's the job, babe."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, regrettably.

Calleigh gave him a reassuring smile. "And we shouldn't keep worrying about it. We should just go home and celebrate our good luck."

"What did you have in mind?" Eric asked as his lips pulled up into a half-smile, his more optimistic side coming into the forefront.

"Oh, I don't know," she shrugged, innocently. "We can lean back, watch a movie or maybe we can make use of that king sized bed."

Eric chortled at the offer, the latter option especially appealing to him. He pressed his lips to hers one more time. They were soft, sweet and molded together perfectly with his own. Kissing Calleigh wasn't an experience he could describe, for no words in any language could convey how it felt to kiss her or the joy that came with it. For a brief moment today, he was certain he was going to lose the luxury that was kissing Calleigh and the thought was enough to burn him on the inside.

"I love you," he whispered when their lips finally separated.

"I love you," Calleigh repeated, softly. "Come on, let's get out of here."


End file.
